Indirectly Recognized U.S. Patriot's Defeat by Russian Shelling, CNN Reports

On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Patriot air defense system was likely damaged, though not destroyed, due to Russian shelling in Kyiv and its vicinity, CNN reports, referencing an American official.

According to the official, the U.S. is still assessing the extent of the damage to the system. This will determine whether the system needs to be fully withdrawn or simply repaired on site by Ukrainian forces.

The spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council has directed CNN to reach out to the Ukrainian government for comments.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated on Telegram on Tuesday that a high-precision strike by the “Kinzhal” hypersonic missile system has hit the U.S.-made Patriot air defense system in Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials announced on Tuesday that they successfully intercepted all six hypersonic missiles launched by the Russians; however, Ukrainian military representatives refrained from commenting on the Russian claims regarding the destruction of the Patriot system. “We cannot comment on that. We will refrain from comments from Russian sources,” said Serhiy Ignat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force.

Currently, Ukraine has two Patriot air defense systems in the country, one donated by the U.S. and the other a joint donation by Germany and the Netherlands. It remains unclear which of these systems is potentially damaged, but removal of one from operation, even temporarily, could impact Ukraine's capacity to defend Kyiv amid increased Russian missile assaults.